


Go, Gentle Night

by Isis_the_Sphinx



Series: Beholderverse [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: AU, Beholderverse, Gen, Gift Fic, Possible Terminal Illness, Real Life tribute, References to Alola, Writing out my emotions, friendships, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 16:04:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9332651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isis_the_Sphinx/pseuds/Isis_the_Sphinx
Summary: Just because Pokemon look like they break the laws of physics, doesn't mean everything is perfect. Life is still life. It has its difficulties and its challenges, and its surprises. Not all of them are nice. Not all of them are kind. Not all of them have something you can do to affect the result.Sometimes you just have to wait. And hope.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaintAnselmOfTheDesert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaintAnselmOfTheDesert/gifts).



> Before I say anything, I want to state that this is massively AU. I have little knowledge of what Ralph's author has planned. I simply...needed to get this off my chest. Forgive me any faux pas I may have made with Ralph's characterization.
> 
> Also a little bit spoiler-y for Bri's timeline, but you all know I play fast and loose with her timeline anyway.

Brienne leaned forward in the high-backed chair in the Champion’s quarters. The suite of rooms was well-furnished, a high-class collection of dorm rooms with a shared kitchen and living room. Each bedroom had its own full bathroom, and the Champion’s quarters had the best view on the patio. Every Champion and Elite Four had the choice to live in-dorm or their own private residences, and where each person was depended on personal taste and time of year. Sometimes it was just  _ more convenient  _ to live in the fortress-cum-castle during the battle season, where, semi-rarely, trainers would try their best at a rate of once or twice a day. 

It could be tiring, going back home across region and have to come back the next day. 

This being her first year as defending Champion, Brienne hadn’t had the time or the interest to redecorate what Diantha had left behind. Surprisingly, the actress’ taste was spartan and sharply elegant. She had not spent effort into extravagance, nor had she put much of what looked like a personal touch to Brienne. Maybe it was because she had spent so much time  _ as _ an actress that her efforts had gone somewhere else. 

For now, the current arrangement was good enough for her. Nothing was horribly assaulting on the eyes and the furniture was functional and  _ very _ comfortable. Perhaps Diantha had put more effort there. 

But what was truly on her mind was the word that had come down the Elite Four grapevine. 

The collective region's’ Elite Four and Champions around the world kept in good contact with one another. It was actually something of a gossip mill, what with everyone having very strong, very quirky personalities. It also meant that when one legendary or more got its dander up, some of the most powerful battlers in the world were on hand and ready to go in case everything went to hell in a handbasket. Current news had everyone excited for Alola to join into the network. The region had been fairly isolationist since the old wars in Unova, where both Kalosian and Alolan citizens had been drafted, attacked, and many other horrible things. Afterwards, Alolan elders had essentially told the rest of the world to stay off their grass, the threat backed up by the local legendaries, the Tapus. With an Elite Four and Champion being inducted to the region, as it created its own league, the rest of the world was quite excited to see them join. 

This good news was overshadowed by something a bit more personal. 

The current Hoennian Champion, Ralph Wingates. He’d gained his Champion seat about a year and a half before Brienne had, right around the time she’d arrived in Kalos. She’d only learned that  _ he _ was more-or-less from the same place she was after she gained her own Champion throne. Since then they’d been pen-pals, as they both understood each other’s general background, joke references, and ‘can you  _ even _ ’s at various current events. 

She hadn’t heard from him in a week, and the first news she got was from Drasna, who’d been talking to  _ Drake, _ who had made a mumble. Drake himself wasn’t one for gossip, so for him to say anything at all stuck in Drasna’s mind. 

Brienne tapped a phone number into the vid-phone installed in the room and leaned back as it rang, waiting for Ralph to pick up. 

When he did, after four rings, Brienne immediate felt her stomach sink. He looked a little pale, a little tired, but it was the look in his eyes that caught her. There was some sort of fight on the horizon, and it was going to be a hard one.

_ Something was very, very wrong. _

“‘Sup, man?” That didn’t mean she couldn’t at least  _ start _ with the pleasantries.

“Not much,” he shrugged. “Getting things ready for the upcoming season. You know how it is. You?”

She quirked up an eyebrow. “Same. The remodeling on the Champion arena here is almost done. It’ll be sweet. And Homestuck themed, because I couldn’t help myself.”

Ralph snorted and shook his head, amused. “You know, if Hussie had the chance, you  _ know _ you’d be paying royalties for all this.”

“Yes, probably. So I’m getting away with it while I can.” She waved a hand in front of her face, almost dismissing the worry for the subject as inconsequential. “But I heard through the grapevine you’re taking a sabbatical? You gave your friend May a call?”

Blunt and roundabout all at the same time. Looker  _ hated _ it when she phrased questions like this at him. She wondered how Ralph would take it.

“Who’d you hear it from?”

No denial yet. Huh. “Drake, through Drasna. Dragon Masters, y’know? I’m fairly sure Drake has a crush on her, too.”

Ralph rolled his eyes and nodded. “He does. And he hides it poorly when Phoebe mentions it. Teases him endlessly.”

“We’ll have to see what we can do to encourage it,” she grinned. “Drasna thinks it’s cute. But. Sabbatical?”

Ralph frowned and shifted. “I’m going to be out of commission for a while. A long while. In no shape to battle.”

Her spine got chills. “...What’s wrong.”

“The doctors aren’t sure yet,” he finally answered after a moment of silence. “Haven’t gone through enough tests. I have a feeling that once they start, I’m not going to be leaving the hospital for a long while.”

Brienne closed her eyes and tried to let the pain go through her as calmly as possible.  _ Fuck. _

“I see,” she said, flatly, trying to keep her emotions contained. The medicine and doctors here were just as good as the ones back home, and in some places they were even  _ better. _ There was more hope, much more, than she currently felt.

“I was going to let you know once I had a solid answer. But you jumped the gun, so…” he shrugged. 

“D’you want me to visit? I can squeeze it in before season starts.”

“No, that’s alright. Don’t stress yourself out right before you need to defend your title for the first year. You need to be at your best, and I know what boats do to you.”

She pursed her lips, but nodded. “You told anyone else?”

“Well,  _ May, _ ” he said, as if it was obvious. “The Birches. My team. I think they knew I was sick before I did.” Another shrug. “I was going to tell my Elite Four team and the gym leaders once I had something more solid.”

“That explains why Drake was mumbling. He probably doesn’t like the idea of you taking a sabbatical right now with no good reason.” She huffed.

He nodded. “I guess I’ll have to tell him now.”

Out of view of the vid-phone, Brienne wrapped her arms around her middle. “Keep me informed? I’mma miss your thick-headedness in your calls.”

“Yeah. I’ll send you more information as I get it.”

“Okay,” she said softly, trying to smile for him. “I’ll let you go now. I’m sure you’ve got more than enough paperwork to do to get this all set up before you leave.”

Ralph groaned. “I swear, it multiplies when I’m not looking.”

“It does, I checked.” Her smile fell. “Stay strong, Ralph.”

He put one on his face instead. “Will do. This thing doesn’t know what it’s in for. Later, Bri.”

A click, and the call ended. The screen went back to the main menu, asking her if she wanted to make another call. 

She ignored it. Ralph hadn’t said it, but it all pointed to cancer, or something like it. Something would have him in the hospital for a  _ long _ time, sick and fighting for his life, and there was nothing that anyone but the doctors and Ralph could do. 

It was an odd sort of helplessness that held her frozen in place. Every joint in her body locked up, and she had to swallow around a stone in her throat as her eyes grew wet. 

Ralph was a friend, and a close one at that, by the simple expedient of a shared experience. She enjoyed their calls, even though they were irregular, rate random, whenever they had the time or something specific to share. But they kept up. 

Frankly, this bullshit hurt. And there was nothing she could do about it except stand there and be encouraging.  _ Fucker. _

The vid-phone beeped, asking again if she wanted to make another call, or should it turn off. Her body unlocked, mechanically, and she turned the phone off. 

She needed to process. She needed to think. She needed to see what was under her shock and hurt and fear.   
Time would tell, in both hers and Ralph’s cases.

**Author's Note:**

> \---For RK.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fantastic Hopes and Where to Find Them](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9347393) by [SaintAnselmOfTheDesert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaintAnselmOfTheDesert/pseuds/SaintAnselmOfTheDesert)




End file.
